Nemui Hime
by Arachay
Summary: Till chapter 2. Edited with minor revisions. [SenRu Yaoi Shounen-ai]
1. Asanebo Tomodachi prologue

**NEMUI HIME **(Revised & Edited)  
A sillier than silly parody of Sleeping Beauty and other fairytales, mostly nonsensical SenRuSen fluff by a 'tripping' **Arachay**

**Genre:** Yaoi/Shounen-ai/Parody**  
Disclaimers:** You know the drill... I don't own them or Sleeping Beauty, but I just adore SenRuSen and classic fairytales...   
**Warnings:** Possible Sakuragi-bashing in future chappys... All in good fun my dearies... all in good fun... :)**  
Credits:** Sankyuu to everyone who's been loyally reading this fic and reminding me to continue it. You guys truly inspire my muse into cooperating! And special thanks to my unofficial beta-reader, the very talented Ginnie! Sankyuu ne for going through the trouble of bringing those errs to my attention! Your efforts are appreciated enormously! Hope you won't mind doing it again? -wink-wink- :)

* * *

** 0: Asanyebo Tomodachi=Sleepyhead Friend**

"Akira... I can't sleep."

From the scattered homework on the floor, Sendoh Akira lifts his gaze to the source of the troubled voice, and met perfect blue eyes of his best friend, Rukawa Kaede. Once again, he found himself drowning in them, breathless. He often slept over, especially since they were now studying in the same university. They had become really fond of each other, letting time pass just wallowing in each other's company. And falling in love.

The raven-haired boy shifted from his position, closed his eyes and sighed deeply.

"Gomen. I must be keeping you up." before Sendoh could bend down to gather his things Rukawa faced him again, and stared. Hard. Like everything about Rukawa's nature, it was subtle and yet intense. Sendoh hadn't even noticed that Rukawa had grabbed onto his sleeve.

"Where are you going?"

Sendoh grinned at the urgency of Rukawa's tone. "I'm going to lie down beside you of course, as soon as I hide this clutter."

Rukawa snorted and watched quietly as his spiky-haired friend hastily stuffed his books and pencils into a bag and shoved everything else into a drawer. He smiled at Rukawa who was lying down on his bed, before taking swift strides to the washroom to clean-up.

Knowing very well of his friend's narcoleptic tendencies, Sendoh was sure Rukawa would be fast asleep by the time he finished washing his face & brushing his teeth. But every few seconds, the sound of bed sheets being rumpled, persisted. A slight pang of worry crept up to his senses, it was very uncharacteristic of Rukawa to be restless. Sendoh quickly changed into a white cotton shirt & boxers. The wind was a bit chilly that night, so he closed the window, before dimming the bedside lamp & settling beside the raven-haired boy. Rukawa just stared up at the ceiling.

"Still awake huh?"

Rukawa grunted in response.

"I know!" Sendoh propped himself on one elbow, a big smile on his face. "Try counting sheep!"

"Sheep?" Rukawa echoed softly.

"Yeah, you know... sheep jumping over a fence!"

An awkward moment of silence... Rukawa had the faintest expression of ridicule, as if torn between saying something and remaining silent.

_Sou ka..._ Sendoh laughed nervously. Rukawa has never had any trouble falling asleep before, so he's never done it and obviously didn't find any sense in counting sheep jumping over a fence.

"What do sheep have to do with falling asleep?" The sullen boy finally spoke.

"Uh, err... well it's supposed to relax your mind and help you fall asleep."

"You count sheep jumping over a fence to fall asleep...?" Rukawa had to ask.

Sendoh thought for a moment, "Well, no not exactly... If I did, I'd probably imagine sheep doing something a bit more interesting..."

Rukawa stared at Sendoh speechless. _A more interesting thing to do than jumping over a fence? _

Another moment of awkward silence. Rukawa had an accusing look on his face that was synonymous to 'hentai'.

Sendoh suddenly blushed. "Kae-chan, why are you staring at me like that? It's not what you're thinking... What I meant was, if I were to count sheep, I prefer to think of them doing something easier for me to imagine... like dunking a basketball..."

Sheep dunking a basketball...

An image of a brown-colored sheep in a jersey jumped up. His face turned-gorilla-like the last instant before squarely dunking a basketball. "Maaa uhoughoho!" he roared.   
  
One sheep.  
  
The second sheep was rather small, and had very curly hair... he was really speedy for his size. He sped in and did a neat lay-up. "Maaa Ayaaa-chaaan!"   
  
Two sheep.  
  
Now the third sheep jogged in. It had short cropped hair & a scar on his chin. He took the goal from the three-point line "Maaa-yosh!"  
  
Three sheep.   
  
And the last sheep (didn't look quite like a sheep) for he had bright orange fur, like it just swam through a bucket of orange paint. He jumped up to dunk the ball "NYAHAHAHA!" but ended up smashing its nose into the backboard instead.   
  
CRUNCH!!!

Four sheep.  
  
They both winced and shook their heads to dispel the images.

"Okay, so that wasn't a very good idea..." Sendoh sweat-dropped and turned to Rukawa hopefully, "You feeling sleepy yet?"

Rukawa rubbed his eyes. "Iya, mada."

Sendoh looked thoughtful. "Okashii na..."

Rukawa too began to think... Both of them think in chibi mode.

"Ah! Sou ka!" Sendoh pounded his palm. He excitedly tucks a very hesitant Rukawa under the blanket before sitting up and clearing his throat... "I'll tell you a bedtime story!"

"A bedtime story...?" Rukawa echoed, eyes widening a bit.

"Yup! I'll tell you my favorite. It's entitled..." Sendoh pauses a moment for a little drama, "'The Sleepy Princess!" A particularly charming smile washes over his handsome face as he says this.

"Sleepy Princess?" Rukawa echoed blankly, catching himself sounding redundant for the umpteenth time that night. "Don't you mean 'Sleeping Beauty'?"

"Iya." Sendoh shrugged. And flashing another mysterious smile, Sendoh gently nudged the tip of Rukawa's nose with his index finger. "I **do** mean "Sleepy Princess... my hime..."

Then the screen begins to fade into a different scene like the pages of a storybook...

In the background we hear Rukawa snort. "This had better be good..."

[Tsuzuku...]

Next:**  
Chapter 1: Okurimono=Gift**

* * *

**A/N:** -SIGH- Will this ever be tsuzuku? Gomen to all my good Akikaenian friends who support this silly ficcy. nn Will finish this just don't know when... Plan to revise the most part of it... Aah, revisions, and more revisions... I just love SenRu Sen too much... Sankyuu minnasan!

* * *

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	2. Kirei Na Mono

**NEMUI HIME **(Revised & Edited)  
A sillier than silly parody of Sleeping Beauty and other fairytales, mostly nonsensical SenRuSen fluff by a 'tripping' **Arachay**

**Genre:** Yaoi/Shounen-ai/Parody**  
Disclaimers:** You know the drill... I don't own 'em or Sleeping Beauty, but I just adore SenRuSen and classic fairytales...   
**Warnings:** Possible Sakuragi-bashing in future chappys... All in good fun my dearies... all in good fun... :)**  
Credits:** Sankyuu to everyone who's been loyally reading this fic and reminding me to continue it. You guys truly inspire my muse into cooperating! And special thanks to my unofficial beta-reader, the very talented Ginnie! Sankyuu ne for going through the trouble of bringing those errs to my attention! Your efforts are appreciated enormously! Hope you won't mind doing it again? -wink-wink- :)

* * *

**Chibi Into:**

**Cha-che:** -bounces on tail- In last-last month's prologue, Kaechan couldn't sleep. So Akira-kun opts to tell him a bedtime story!  
**Sensen:** -nods- Sou yo!  
**Ruru:** -wide-eyed- K'so... I want to fall asleep now, hayaku!  
**Sensen:** Era sou ni Kae-chan, kawaii!!! -pinches Ru's cheek-  
**Cha-che:** Suteki! -pinches Ruru's other cheek-  
**Ruru:** -winces- Do'ahou futari ni...  
**Sheep:** -hops out of nowhere and smooches Ru- Maa-aaa!  
**SenSen** & **Cha-che:** Gaahhh!!! KONO YARRRROU!!! -tackles sheep in a cloud of dust-  
**Ruru:** -sigh- Baka san ni.

* * *

Our story begins in a faraway land called Kanagawa...

** Chapter 1: Okurimono=Gift**

Once upon a time, there lived a king & queen who were very madly in love. To everyone, it seemed like a perfect fairytale waiting to live happily ever after... but fairytales were realistic too, and sometimes happy endings needed to be worked out.  
  
Many years passed, and though in love as they were, they could not have the one thing they truly longed for... a child of their own.   
  
It was a pitiable tragedy, but hope wasn't lost. They travelled far and wide, seeking the gods & goddesses favor... trying every wizard's spell, every witch's potion, good luck charms, prayers, offerings, rituals...   
  
Until one fine Autumn morning, during one of their munificent travels, and another seeming dead end... The queen was alighting one of the local talisman shops... when she stumbled.  
  
"Ittai!"  
  
Queen Kenjima sat up and brushed the leaves off her golden russet hair. "Who in heaven's name could have left such a—"  
  
Little bundle...?  
  
The "little bundle", was bulky and wrapped up in pink sheets & sashes, nestled inside a sturdy basket...

Curious, the queen moved to examine it further when she jumped back in fright, upon hearing it make faint cooing & gurgling sounds...

Not comprehending at first...

But then she began to relax. The sounds were not really frightening... In fact they were melodious... even... cute.  
  
The queen's heartbeat raced.

Very cute!

Cooing & gurgling...  
  
BABY SOUNDS!!!  
  
The queen literally pounced the basket, took a deep breath and very carefully began "unwrapping" the sheets & sashes, as though it were some present.

She first brushed off the dried maple leaves, untied the fastenings and peeled open the cloth to reveal...

A baby!!!

A tiny little baby!  
  
Gracefully, the infant's eyelids uncovered a pair of bright blue eyes...  
  
The queen gasped.  
  
Beautiful...

Big blue eyes!  
  
Just like hers.   
  
With trembling hands, she undid the bundle completely, noting at once that it was a baby boy. And a very lovely-looking one at that! The queen gazed at the baby for a while, deeply taken. Immaculately fair skinned, big blue eyes accentuated by shiny ebony locks. Having lightly brushed aside the frills over his forehead, it unveiled a dainty nose & fine cherry-red lips.  
  
"Hello."   
  
The baby boy stopped his unintelligible noises, and eyed the stranger.  
  
"Oh." The queen let out a short giggle, "...you must be a prince!"  
  
Unable to contain her excitement, she slowly reaches down, "May I pay thee my respects?" Without waiting for a response, she gently scoops the child into her arms. "Mmm..."   
  
Silence.  
  
The queen sighed. "You are the most beautiful thing I have ever seen!"  
  
Still silence.  
  
"It's true!" The queen looked around. No one seemed to own the baby, so she dismissed her apprehension. "My name is... Ken—Ji." Making sure to enunciate the syllables well, then quickly added, "But I want you to call me 'kasan from now on...

Okay?"

Inquisitive eyes.   
  
"What's your name?"

She thought she saw him slightly flinch. Hmm... Nothing in the basket seemed to indicate that the child already had a name. The kawaisou little angel looked no more than a few weeks old! She pondered for a few seconds, and her gaze inadvertently finds the bright-colored maple leaves scattered all over the ground. It was the peak of Autumn after all...  
  
"Well, young majesty...It looks like I will have the pleasure of naming you. Though I must admit this will be quite a challenge..." The queen smiled wistfully. "You are simply too beautiful to be named!"  
  
The baby seemed to empathize, as a tiny frown crossed his features.  
  
Just then a soft breeze rushes through the pathway, stirring a cluster of maple leaves upward above their heads. In the next instant, a shower of golden leaves begin its graceful descent, presenting a wonderful spectacle.  
  
The queen laughed heartily, but was stopped short upon hearing another person laughing along with her...The soft chortling was unmistakably the tiny prince's!

"You like that?"

The young prince's smile was unwavering.

"Okay... Then I think I'll name you...

Kaede..."

She smiled pleased at herself.

"Prince Kaede.

What do you say?"

"Oubwh!"

[Tsuzuku...]

Next... **   
Chapter 2: Mittsu Okurimono to Norio=Three Gifts & A Curse**

* * *

Hungry for more SenRu?   
A place for SenRu lovers! Plenty yummy fics here!  
  
An Eternal Fascination Shrine to SenRuSen.  
  
A SenRuSen community for only insane, hard core fans. :p 


	3. Mittsu Okurimono to Noroi

**NEMUI HIME ** Chapter 2:**Mittsu Okurimono to Norio=Three Gifts & A Curse**  
A sillier than silly parody of Sleeping Beauty and other fairytales, mostly nonsensical SenRuSen fluff by a 'tripping' **Arachay**

**Genre:** Yaoi/Shounen-ai/Parody**  
Disclaimers:** You know the drill... I don't own them or Sleeping Beauty, but I just adore SenRuSen and classic fairytales...   
**Warnings:** Possible Sakuragi-bashing in future chappys... All in good fun my dearies... all in good fun... :)**  
Credits:** Sankyuu to everyone who's been loyally reading this fic and reminding me to continue it. You guys truly inspire my muse into cooperating! And special thanks to my unofficial beta-reader, the very talented Ginnie! Sankyuu ne for going through the trouble of bringing those errs to my attention! Your efforts are appreciated enormously! Hope you won't mind doing it again? -wink-wink- :)

* * *

** Sequence 1: Hajimemashite=First Meeting**

After a month, the entire kingdom held a feast in honor of the newfound Prince, and guests from all over Kanagawa came to pay him homage...

Royal coaches and grand horses from nearby & faraway lands flocked into the palace. Colorful fireworks took turns illuminating the night sky and made shadows dance beneath them. It was a majestic spectacle!   
  
Queen Kenjima closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"Guh-guh-bwah!"

Queen Kenjima giggled. Her newfound son was as eager to meet the guests as she was! The queen glided over to the cradle in the middle of the room.

"Excited aren't we?"

"Obwuh!"

"Ready to face your soon-to-be admirers?"

Baby Kaede's smile instantly turned into a chuckle, blue eyes twinkling. "Pai-bhwoh!"

"Me? I'm not nervous! I'm fine!"

"Guh... myuhh!!"

Queen Kenjima made a face, "Smart aren't we? I should've known I couldn't fool you!" She laughed and began to playfully tickle the tiny infant's chubby sides. Baby Kaede bit his mittens, face rapidly turning an alarming shade of blue. He hated being tickled... He hated it more than pacifiers!

Just then, trumpets blared from a distance, momentarily halting the torment. The king's handsome beaming face peered in the room. "My love, it's time! Are you ready?"

"Hai! Of course I am Touru darling!" The Queen released her grip on the very relieved little Prince Kaede to give her husband a hug.

_Whew!_ Baby Kaede puffed. _Saved by 'tochan!_  
  
Meanwhile, down below... the guests were all excited to meet the new prince as well...

"I hear he's a fine young prince!"

"They say he has the face of an angel!"

"My, I don't think I've ever seen anything as lovely..."

"..."  
  
"Everyone is talking about him! I can't wait to see!"

"..."  
  
"I'm so happy for the king & queen!"

"And the boy looks just like them, truly handsome with big blue eyes!"

"Bet he'll be a fine young man when he grows up!"

_Mou...! Yamette!!!_

By now, the four yr.old Prince Akira was exasperated... He has been bombarded with nothing but praises all day! It's not that he wasn't used to it. In his kingdom, everyone adored him and ceaselessly showered him with praises. But what made him so sick now, was for the first time, the praises weren't for him... It has all been for that— that prince!

"Prince Kaede this... Prince Kaede that...!"

It was driving him insane!

He tried to slip away from the crowd, but powerful hands slammed down on his shoulders, keeping the young spikey-haired prince in his place. He turned to glare at the owner of those arms, but after awhile sighed bitterly. It was no use. His father wasn't even looking at him!

His own father, King Shinichi was busy chatting away about this 'Prince Kaede' too, and he had to stay put and listen. Prince Akira's scornful gaze rested on the majestic crib that held the object of everyone's adoration. Just when he thought it couldn't get any worse, trumpets were sounded again, and his shoulders drooped even more, when he heard his own & his father's name being summoned to pay the prince their homage. These egotistical ceremonies were a pain!  
  
A carefully wrapped present was shoved into his arms and the sulking prince was pushed towards the crib.

_No way!_ Prince Akira scowled inwardly, eyeing the crib in vexation, hoping it would burst into flames. When he refused to move, he was nagged on further by his father. "Go ahead, Akira! Don't be shy!"

_Shy!!!!?_

"I am not—" He began to argue, when soft hands tenderly cupped his face.

Akira gasped and felt his face burn. It was Queen Kenjima! He bowed in reflex, but was quickly stopped, as the queen pulled him close for an affectionate hug. The tension he felt miraculously dissolved. It's been awhile since he was given a motherly hug.

"Akira-kun hisashiburi!" Queen Kenjima greeted warmly. "You're growing up to be a fine, young, handsome prince! O-genki dou?"

Prince Akira replied shyly, "Domo. G-Genki des."

"Yokkatta! I've been telling Kae-chan all about you and your fabulous kingdom! He's very excited to meet you!"

Prince Akira would've scoffed again, if the words didn't come from the queen's lips. He nodded politely as he was carefully ushered closer to the crib. He grasped his offering tighter, feeling a pang of apprehension. He had picked the gift himself, but wasn't really mindful of it.

Queen Kenjima whispered, "Go on my darling, it's alright."

_Okay.... Here goes._  
  
THUNK!  
  
Without bothering to look in, Akira hurriedly shoved the huge box into the crib, and turned to walk away.

King Shinichi gasped, followed by the whole congregation.

The young prince was met with at least a hundred shocked expressions, among them was his father's frightfully reprimanding stare.

He swallowed the lump in his throat, realizing the impending consequences of his actions.

POINK!

A purple silicon pacifier bounced off Prince Akira's head, followed by soft baby laughter.

"Itte..." he rubbed his head, "Nandayo?"

Prince Akira gingerly picked up the knick-knack, then turned to return it, only this time, he forgot not to look. Before he knew what was happening, he was captured by a pair of stunning blue eyes.

For someone so young, he held Akira's gaze pretty well.

_So this... is Prince Kaede..._ Akira thought mesmerized.

_Kirei..._

"I think he wants you to open it for him..." Queen Kenjima broke the silence.

Prince Kaede was now bouncing the big box that fell from out of nowhere, which thanks to his guardian angels, he managed to catch with all fours. "Oushmasu!!" Kaede exclaimed enthusiastically.

"Awww... kawaii!" came the echo of countless guests.

_Great._ He couldn't afford to embarrass himself further in front of all these people. He might as well do as 'the little prince' asked, the sooner he does, he can get this over with...

In a matter of seconds the gift was unwrapped to reveal a bright blue & orange basketball.

Akira looked at the brand new ball warily before dropping it into the crib again... 'gently' this time.

"Kae-chan, what will you say?" The Queen whispered lovingly.

"Dwouumo." Came the delighted reply.

_Aww..._ Sendoh felt his heart melt. How can he be so cute?

Unable to resist, he peered into the crib for the second time, wanting to see those winsome blue eyes once more. "Iya, tondemonai." He whispered with a smile, feeling genuinely happy for the very first time that evening. "Dou-ittashimashite!"

Baby Kaede squealed as his tiny fingers reached up to tweak Akira's nose.

The young Prince Akira blushes. "Dohzho yohrohshikuh...!"

Everyone in the hall broke out in laughter.

"Akira-kun! I think he likes you!" Queen Kenjima remarked.

"Looks like you two are going to be good friends!" King Touru added.

Before Akira left he kissed the tiny fingers innocently touching his face and whispered. "That would be nice."

"Oubwh!"

* * *

**Sequence 2: Genki Yosei=Cheerful Fairies**  
  
When the gift-giving ceremony was almost over...

Grand trumpets blared, followed by the announcement: "Presenting to his Royal Majesty... the Three Cheerful Fairies!

Ms.Ruh!

Ms.Kah

and Ms.Wah!"  
  
"Ruh!"

"Kah!"

"Wah—  
  
"Whoa-whoa! Wait a sec!"

Sendoh who was already holding up a pair of pink pom-poms stopped dancing. "Nandatte Kaechan?"

A pouty-faced Rukawa sat in bed, wide awake. "The Three Cheerful Fairies?"

"Hai."

"I thought this was Sleeping Beauty? It's supposed to be the Three 'Good' Fairies, not the Three Cheerful Fairies, sono baka!"

"Iya." Sendoh shook his head. "This isn't Sleeping Beauty, it's my original story called 'Nemui Hime', as in 'SLEE-PY PRIN-CESS'!

And besides... we can't leave out your fans Kae-chan! Kawaisou na no yo!"

Rukawa lets out a deep sigh of exasperation.

"You don't mind them but I know how much you really appreciate them... You told me once!"

"........."

Sendoh grinned, "I think they're kinda cute."

Kaede retorted, "To Sendoh Akira, all girls are cute!"

"That's not true!" Sendoh grinned planting a child-like kiss on Rukawa's red lips. "I've yet to meet a girl as beautiful as my Kae-chan!"

"Don't compare me to girls you a'hou!"

**-x-**

The three girls pranced into the palace hall dressed in glittering pink cheering outfits, waving their magical pom-poms.

"Ruh! Kah! Wah! Ruh! Kah! Wah! L-O-V-E! Ruh! Kah! Wah! YEAY!!!"

The crowd applauded as they bowed appreciatively. Each of them genuflected before the king & queen too before excitedly gathering around Prince Kaede's crib.

Kae-chan looked a bit flustered from the high-pitched racket, and before he could recover, three girly faces peered down at him. His blue eyes grew large. Not only did he think they were 'un-cute' and 'weird-looking', but to his fragile little mind the three fairies gushing and cooing over him was extremely petrifying!

They baby-talked him, which was very insulting to say the least. They even tried tickling him and the queen nearly panicked when Kaede uttered a sharp cry of protest. King Touru laughed patting his wife's hand reassuringly. "He's such a feisty little tyke isn't he?"

The queen relaxed a bit. She knew that three fairies weren't really to blame. No one could resist the little angel, not even her. No matter how long she stared at him, no matter how many caresses, it never seemed enough. Anyone would understandably react the same way to such a beautiful child. The Three 'Cheerful' Fairies were really kind-hearted and meant the prince no harm... at least not intentionally that is...

On the other hand, the young prince was getting really irritated from all the swooning. He desperately tried to crawl away, grasping whatever object he could get his hands on to aid in his escape. Those creepy creatures called 'girls' were about to tickle him for the umpteenth time, when his chubby little limbs find the basketball. He seizes it and flings it up with all his might just as he is grabbed from behind and flipped to face them.

BONK!

"Ittai!" cried Fairy Kah, as the present hit her squarely in the nose.

"Oh dear!" The queen nearly jumped out of her throne.

The whole congregation gasped.

Ruh & Wah frantically attended to their ailing sister as the pig-tailed Kah rubbed her nose to ease the pain.

Suddenly the commotion ceased and a tiny chuckling prompted everyone's attention. The fairies looked in disbelief at baby Kaede.

He was laughing!

"Aww... I guess this means we passed the test..." said Wah, the fairy with long black hair.

The three of them sighed happily. Short-haired fairy Ruh picked up the prince's ball and returned it to him who welcomed back his toy with both hands & feet.

"Dumomwah!" he said loudly in gratitude.

"What a darling little gentleman!" Ruh remarked.

"Oh, he's so adorable." Wah sighed dreamily.

"What a fine young prince he'll be!" Kah added proudly, looking funny with her nose still a bit red.

'They're interesting!' Baby Kaede thought, as a playful smile lingered on his face. Somehow he understood now that they were his friends and the Three Cheerful Fairies weren't so bad after all...

It was also then that the little prince began to treasure the basketball as a good luck charm. He cuddled the ball for a few more quiet moments... and never let go of it since...

After the three fairies just watched him play peacefully...

"Your majesty-" Kah began. "As a sign of our undying love & loyalty, we will each give the lovely little prince a gift!"

The king & queen nodded their consent, and at once the first fairy, the one named "Ruh", glided over to prince Kaede's crib & waved up her fluffy pompom-like wand. Red pixie dust burst forth, showering down & illuminating the crib.

Baby Kaede sneezed.

Ruh smiled at him warmly before guiding the brighter sparks upward.

"My gift to you, o sweet little prince...   
is the gift of 'beauty'!"

With one powerful stroke, the sparks burst into a hundred dazzling colors & danced high above the crib...

"Thy prince... you will be the fairest in the land!

With snow white skin and god-like grace...

Lips as red, as the reddest of all the roses...

And hair as black as ebony...

So shiny & pure that the sun will adore you with its rays and see it fit to crown you with heaven's halo!

Your eyes my dear young prince...

will be the infinite pools of innocence, bluer & more profound than the deepest ocean!

So lovely & enticing... that anyone who gets caught in your gaze will surely drown in them... and fall in love!"

With one final sweep of her wand, the sparks descend slowly on Kaede.

"This... dear little prince, is my gift to you!"

After drying her eyes, Kah steps forward and pulls up her imaginary sleeves. With a wave of her pom-pom, green sparks ignite & take flight.

"My gift to you, beloved prince...

is the gift of 'song'!"

A pleasant ethereal melody fills the hall and suddenly everyone is awash with inexplicable bliss.

"Your voice o handsome young prince...

will be far sweeter than any nightingale's tune! A love song that rivals any cupid's arrow!

Whatever escapes thy lips will be an unforgettable tune of beauty no words can unfold!

Like the sound of a heart-breaking kiss that only the soul can comprehend..."

Kah ends her spell as the many colored sparks descend and then dissolve on a now peacefully slumbering Kaede.

Wah smiled at her sisters before facing the glowing crib. She raised up her wand and opened her mouth, "My gift to you o precious one, is the gift of—"

Fairy Wah was interrupted as a chilly tempest cut through the halls. The candles all flicker and die, and in the next instant, the entire hall was plunged into darkness.

Everyone was rooted to the ground as a thick smoke emerged from out of nowhere and turned into a orb of eerie red light, with it came echoes of spine-chilling laughter...

Someone uninvited has arrived...

* * *

**Sequence 3****: Aka Bakemono=Red Beast**

WHOOSH!

A violent tempest cuts through the ballroom, sending most of the guests to the floor. The Three Fairies struggled to keep from being blown away

Finally the giant sand storm settles and the glowing red orb transforms into the hideous figure of the uninvited intruder.

"NYAAA—HAHAHAHA!!!"

Everyone gasps. In the middle of the room, was a creature, as huge as a giant grizzly bear except that it's fur was all red, it had hoofs of an ox, and the face of a beast.

Frightened murmurs erupted.

"It's... it's the Red Beast of Shohoku!"

"What is he doing here?"

"Who invited him?!"

"What an abomination!"

"He's even uglier than I had imagined!"

"And he stinks too!"

POP!

Went a vein somewhere in the red-beast's temple.

"AAAAGGGHHHH!!! SSSHHUUUTT UPPP!!!"

The creature roared but with little effect. He had a surprisingly gruff but whiny high-pitched voice that didn't quite match his appearance. "YOU DARE INSULT A GREAT PRINCE LIKE ME! YOU MISERABLE LITTLE INSECTS!!"

His hideous exterior though, more than compensated for what he lacked, and the guests all cower back in fright.

"You?? A prince??? BLECH!!!"

"Eh?" The beast turned to see who had dared defy him so openly and there he caught the Three Cheerful Fairies glaring at him.

"You're no prince, you're just a disgusting monster with bad breath!!!" Kah spat defiantly.

"Sou you! Sou yo!" Ru & Wa chorused with equal valor.

"Overbearing and ill-mannered too!"

"Sou yo! Sou yo!"

"GGGGGRRRRRRRRRRHHH!!!"

It didn't seem possible, but the beast's face was getting redder and redder... and even more ominous. It didn't help to know that he was reputed for having a terrible temper. The king & queen were not sure if getting him angry in front of all these people, especially their beloved son, was a wise idea.

"I'M GONNA WRING YOU'RE PUNY LITTLE FAIRY NECKS!!!" The beast roared advancing menacingly.

The Three Cheering Fairies stood brazenly preparing to counter-attack.

"Waaaahhh!!!"

The beast, the fairies and everyone else were immediately diverted by the heart-wrenching wail of the young prince.

"Oh dear!" Queen Kenjima moaned.

Tears flowed down Baby Kaede's cheeks non-stop.

"Waaahhh! Dowwaaahow!!!! DOWAHOU!!!" The prince sobbed greatly distraught by the rude awakening.

"That's enough!" King Touru stood up angrily. "You have no business here! I command you to leave!!!"

"Aww.... Your Majesty King Touru!" The red-beast bowed in mock politeness. "That's really too bad. I came all the way here, hoping to join your dandy little party... Expecting at least... an apology for not being invited... And what do you do? You hurt my sensitive feelings...!"

He looked at the crib and smirked maliciously. "I only meant to pay the little highness homage..." He moved to the distressed-sounding infant.

"DON'T—YOU DARE— TOUCH MY SON!!" The queen said fiercely.

Sparks erupt from Kah's wand, and powerful beams fly towards the creature. To their horror, the beast merely repels it with a shield of fire...

"Insects..." He says scornfully. "Your 'goody-two-shoe' magic is no match against mine!" He pulls out a gigantic club full of thorns, and brings it to a sickening crash on the palace floor.

BOOMM!!!

The Three Fairies are thrown back as bright red-flames shoot up from the ground, forming a barrier that enclose only him and the little prince's crib.

"NO!!! KAEDE!!!" Queen Kenjima screamed in horror.

"Seize that creature!!!" King Touru stormed.

The Royal Guards quickly comply, but they too were repelled by the scorching barrier.

"Enough of the side-show you freaks..." The beast's eyes glowered, "Time for the main event... To show you all my gratitude, I too, will give your precious little 'prince' a gift!"

Everyone gasped as the beast drew closer to the crib. The king & queen froze as the beast reached in to stroke the baby's tear-stained cheek. Prince Kaede's eyes bulged and he was rendered motionless. Too stunned to even continue crying. Incredible dread seized his body as the grotesque creature loomed over him, leaning down, closer and closer.

He didn't understand why, but something (aside from the monster's horrible face) told him that the creature was bad.

Very bad.

Ironically, that same gut feeling told him to hold back the tears, no matter what.

The beast's mouth formed what looked like a smile, exposing huge tartar stained teeth and fangs. "Hello... I know what you really are..." The beast hissed, "Indeed, you are a creature destined to be more beautiful than any mortal in the land!"

Prince Kaede didn't want to look, but fear had seemed to paralyze him. The blue-eyed boy was violently shaken out of that spell however, as a sharp sting shot through his cheek. He winced and squirmed and tried not to cry out, but as the beast's claw made more firm contact with his delicate face, the blistering heat was far too painful to endure!

Prince Kaede stifled a yelp. He felt like screaming.

So hot! The beast continued to caress Baby Kaede's cheeks in mock affection, cackling wickedly as blood-stained burn-marks became visible.

"No ordinary person will ever see past this grotesque scar on your face! Because of that, no one will see you for anything else but a freak, you will be unloved, and so wretchedly lonely! And eventually, the pain of loneliness will drive you to despair, and then madness!"

The beast straightened up. "Listen! All of you! Your precious little prince will be everything you have granted him, god-like and fair! Yes... He'll be endowed with all your pathetic fairy gifts!" He turned and spat scornfully at the Three Fairies.

They glared amidst tears.

"But your puny powers can do nothing to save this cursed fox!"

Several gasps were heard.

"Fox...?" Queen Kenjima murmured in shock.

"Before the sun sets on his 16th birthday, he will bite into poisoned apple and HE WILL DIE!!!"

"Chotto matte."

Sendoh stopped at Rukawa's interruption. "Nani o?"

"I think making Sakuragi the beast was a great idea, but you've got your fairytales confused, he's supposed to say the prince will prick his finger on a spindle of a spinning wheel, not bite into a poisoned apple! That's Snow White!"

"Demo Kae-chan, I told you this is my original fairytale, that way you won't be able to guess what'll happen next."

Rukawa's eyes twinkled, "Hey that does sound interesting... Okay. Fine then. Continue."

**-x-**

The beast laughed uproariously for a few seconds, choked a bit then added, "And then I...Only I will be the prettiest in the land of Kanagawa!!!! Nyahaha-haha-haha!!!!"

King Touru's eyes were blazing and Queen Kenjima collapsed to her throne.

"Hidoi-!!!!" Kah shrieked angrily, tears spilling down ceaselessly.

"You despicable monster!!!" Ruh and Wah seethed.

A dreadful sinking feeling overwhelmed the crowd, some had already fainted, and others were sobbing quietly, pleading to the god's to halt the silent persecution.

The scarlet stains glowed brightly against the boy's snow-white skin. Ironically the intended torment magnified the little boy's beauty, as the beast licked the red fluid in scornful admiration.

Prince Kaede shivered involuntarily at the searing sensation. "I-Ittai!"

"PERVERT!!!!!!" Ruh, Kah and Wah screamed furiously.

"SHUT UP!!!" The beast screamed back in his scratchy voice. Then he turned back to the baby, "Aw, did I hurt the little prince Kitsune? Did I ruin your cute little princely face that everybody loves so much?" The beast drawled in mockery as he straightened up and sucked the blood off his filthy claws. "Revenge is mine!!!"

"NYAHAHAHAHAAHA!!! NYAH-HAH-HA-HAH!!"

"That's ENOUGH!!!!" A young voice resounded.

"Eh?"

Prince Akira was so angry that he couldn't stop the tears from falling. _It was so horrible! This beast! How could he do that to an innocent baby! How could he?!!_ He couldn't just stand there and watch! He began approaching the beast and he cried out once more, "Leave Kaede alone!!!"

The beast uttered a low growl. This puny little brat was asking for it, daring to defy him! The barrier around him quickly dissolved before he lurched at the young prince, claws fully extracted.

"Akira!!!" King Shinichi gasped, "No!"

"Akira-kun!" Queen Kenjima screamed.

Before anyone could comprehend what happened, the beast's face twisted in agony. Blood spilled from a wound in his belly. In his fury he failed to notice the sword Prince Akira had been wielding, and it slit right through him before he could even make contact.

"No!!! Impossible!!!" Gray filthy blood spurted from the beast's mouth.

"Go away." Prince Akira said, his tear-stained face unflinching.

"You'll pay for this!!! You... You little wretch!" The wounded creature shoved Akira away in one violent sweep. Everyone gasped as the prince smashed into a wall and lost consciousness. The beast staggered to raise his club. "You... haven't seen the last of me... You will all taste my wrath... soon!" With those final words, the terrible Red Beast of Shohoku dispersed into the shadows, leaving the entire castle in deep sorrow...

[Tsuzuku...]

Next...

**Chapter 3****: Saigo no Okurimono=The Last Gift**

* * *

**A/N: **A few minor changes in the previous chapters. Warui minnasan, hadn't realized there were so many typos. XD But anyway, I hope I fixed that. And finally I updated with Chapter 3. Sankyuu for reading and doubly thanks for reviewing. :) Hope you like it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

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